Sexton: ‘Joe can drive you demented!’
THERE was a moment at Twickenham on Saturday which said everything about Johnny Sexton’s commitment to Ireland’s cause.
Late in the first-half, Ireland’s No 10 had blood streaming down his f ace. Angus Gardner, the matchday referee, insisted that Sexton l eave the field to get patched up. The visitors were protecting a 14-5 lead and Sexton was not going to leave the fray at such a critical juncture.
‘I don’t have to come off,’ he snarled at Gardner. He was eventually forced off in the 34th-minute for a HIA before returning to steer the ship home at the beginning of the second half.
Never far from the wars, Sexton was then involved in a massive collision with his former Leinster team-mate Ben Te’o five minutes later. He fought on bravely and was eventually replaced by Joey Carbery with 13 minutes remaining. Ireland were on the home stretch and Joe Schmidt could remove his general f rom the action.
It was another battling display from Ireland’s conductor-in-chief. From that last-gasp drop goal in Paris to the final day demolition at England HQ, Sexton has been central to everything good about this Ireland team, and now he has a Grand Slam and a Triple Crown to his name.
‘It’s been a weird week,’ Sexton reflected deep in the bowels of Twickenham stadium. ‘It’s been horrible in many ways. People were talking about trying to enjoy it, but I found it very tough. It was nerve-wracking at times.
‘I was just delighted to get out the other side of it. I think we saved our best performance for last which was always the plan to keep building throughout the campaign. Some of our defence was incredible. I know they scored a few tries but they’re an outstanding team as well and we have to give them credit for that.’
It was Sexton’s aerial bomb on Anthony Watson which set the tone. The England fullback’s fumble allowed Garry Ringrose to pounce for the opening try, and Ireland never looked back. Soon Sexton was launching a trademark Schmidt power play, thanks to some deft handling from Tadhg Furlong, which saw Bundee Aki send CJ Stander stampeding towards the tryline. A 14-0 lead was a dream start but there was no complaceny in the Irish ranks.
‘You never feel in control playing at Twickenham,’ he explained.
‘We’re 14 points up but you still feel if they get a try here, we could come under serious pressure. Obviously we did come under a lot of pressure. They’re not back-toback champions f or nothing. They’re very well coached. I know Steve Borthwick well from the Lions tour. He’s an outstanding coach. I don’t know they rest of their staff, but they’ve got some outstanding players.
‘This was always going to be our biggest challenge by far and it proved to be the case. There’s a lot of sore bodies in there but it makes it a bit easier when you win.’
Jacob Stockdale continued his remarkable try-scoring exploits to give Ireland further breathing space before the break. England came roaring back in the second half but Ireland were always in the ascendancy.
It was yet another tactical masterclass from Schmidt. The forensic Kiwi coach and Sexton have worked together for a long time and share the same drive for perfection.
‘Yeah, he keeps you on your toes,’ Sexton added, with a grin.
‘How do I put this nicely? At times during the week you’re driven demented with him but then you know he’s doing it for a reason.
‘Putting pressure on you in training and meetings to make sure that on Saturday every box is ticked and all the prep is done. He’s an incredible coach. His record with Irish teams speak for itself.
‘He was at Leinster for three years and we got to six finals. He’s been with Ireland for five years and we’ve won three championships and a Grand Slam.
‘Obviously the World Cup didn’t go to plan, but there’s lots of reason why that didn’t go to plan and hopefully we can have a good crack at the next one.’
The likes of Dan Leavy will play a major role when Ireland head to Japan next year. The Leinster flanker was sensational at Twickenham and was one of the standout Irish players in the championship.
Along with the likes of James Ryan, Stockdale and Jordan Larmour, Leavy is part of a new generation of players that could go on to achieve great things in the coming years.
‘ Wit h leaders like Pet e r (O’Mahony), Johnny and Rory (Best), they just push you on,’ he said.
‘We set our goal at the start and credit to the young guys for achieving that.’